


Green Attraction

by Lunas_Secret_Lover



Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire
Genre: AU College, AU modern, F/F, Gelphie, Love, M/M, Roommates, Sex, roommies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-31
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2018-08-28 06:32:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,790
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8435221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lunas_Secret_Lover/pseuds/Lunas_Secret_Lover
Summary: Elphaba Thropp never stays with one person for long.  She is as unattainable as the moon, in Galinda's opinion.  Surely she knows better than to fall for her aloof roommate.  Or does she?





	1. Endings and Beginnings

There was something about Elphaba Thropp that made everyone who met her fall in love with her.  Galinda wasn’t quite sure what it was.  Elphaba wasn’t particularly pretty.  She was interesting looking, with her green skin and strangely pointed features, but it would be a lie to call her a beauty.  The green girl certainly wasn’t a good conversationalist or anything of that sort.  Getting her to talk to you if she didn’t know you well was like pulling teeth.  Maybe it was the aura of mystery that hung off her like a cape.  Maybe she was an amazing lay.  All Galinda knew was that the slew of people who rotated in and out of the apartment sharing Elphie’s bed often left sobbing, and almost always tried to come back to reason with her.  She rolled her eyes as she heard muffled voices and the sound of someone crying from Elphaba’s room.  Her roommate accidentally broke enough hearts to fill a mansion.

 

Her latest victim, a pretty Munchkinlander, rushed past Galinda, trying to contain her sobs as she exited the apartment.  Elphaba followed her out of the room and locked the apartment door.  She turned to stare at Galinda with an exasperated expression on her face.

 

“Galinda, I swear I didn’t mean to do it with that one.” The blonde rolled her eyes, although her expression was slightly amused.

 

“What did that one do?  What made you too good for her?” she asked, always entertained by the answers.

 

“Don’t laugh,” Elphaba warned.

 

“Would I EVER ever do that to you?” Galinda replied with a mockingly serious expression on her face.

 

“She told me she cheated on a natural sciences exam.”

 

“You broke up with a girl because she cheated on a test.” It was a statement, not a question.  Elphaba was the strangest creature she had ever met.

 

“Well, yes.  I can’t stand cheaters.  They ruin things for the rest of us.  They fuck up the curve and then go out into the real world incompetent.” Elphaba frowned and rubbed her forehead absent mindedly.  “That wasn’t the only reason.  It was just the final straw.  She also was starting to annoy me.  She talked too loudly and stole the covers and didn’t want to fuck as often as I did.”

 

“Elphie, those are all normal relationship things.  Besides, I liked that one.  She made cookies.  When was the last time you made cookies for your poor roomie on your own?” Galinda said, pouting prettily.

 

“I know,” Elphaba said in a frustrated tone.  “I don’t know why I lose interest so quickly.  There are just so many interesting people in the world, Galinda.  So many.  And once I know that insides of someone, it’s hard to want to stay with them.  I want to see everything.  And experience everything.  I don’t want to be chained to one person forever.”

 

“Well that’s fine,” Galinda snapped, “But the next one had better make cookies too.  I need comfort food to stave off the noises of you fucking in the room next to mine.”

 

Elphaba sighed and grinned at her roommate. 

 

“I’m sorry, Galinda, I really am.  Want to go to dinner with me tonight? I’ll pay.  We’ll consider it reparations for the loud sex and the lack of cookies.”

 

“Alright.  I’m inviting Avaric and Fiyero.”

 

“Not Avaric,” Elphaba replied, aghast. 

 

“Yes, Avaric.  And you’ll be nice to him.  That’s part of the reparations.”

 

“Fine.  But I’m bringing a book.”

 

“Fine.  But no reading it until after dinner.”  Elphaba shrugged in agreement and disappeared into her room.  Galinda watched her go with a grin on her face.  She had hated Elphaba originally.  The other girl had a sharp tongue and was very strange.  She read at odd hours and sometimes left the stove on after making tea at 3 am.  But slowly, Galinda had grown to tolerate her, then like her.  Now Elphaba was her best friend, as vexing as she could be.  Her antics were the most entertaining part of most of Galinda’s days.  Galinda always prefered it when Elphaba had a significant other, though.  Her energy was lowered to a more manageable state when she was getting laid regularly and her temper was less red-hot.  

 

“Be ready to leave in an hour or you owe me two dinners,” Galinda shouted towards Elphaba’s door.

 

She headed to her own room to text the boys and pick out something to wear.  She texted Fiyero, Crope, Tibbett and Avaric just to be safe.

 

_ Elphie and Lynn are over.  She’s taking me to dinner to console me. You in? _

 

_ That one lasted almost a month.  Our Elphie’s growing up :’) In.  So are Crope and Tibbett.  Josephine’s?   _ Fiyero’s reply made her smile.  She loved Josephine’s, and it wasn’t an expensive enough resturaunt to bankrupt her friends.

 

_ Josephine’s is good.  Avaric? _

 

_ I could be persuaded.  I’ll get drinks.   _

 

Galinda shifted through her closet looking for something to wear.  She sighed in frustration.  It always looked like she had so many clothes but when she started looking for something to wear, she could never find anything good.  She would have to find something for Elphaba as well, so the green girl didn’t embarrass herself.  She pulled out a sleek pink dress for herself, and something blue and simple for Elphie. Carefully, she applied another layer of makeup more appropriate for going out.  She left her curls down, with a silver barrette off to the side to add a little flare.  

 

“Elphie!” she called, “Time to get dressed.”

 

“I will in a minute.”

 

“I’m coming in.  Stop touching yourself.”  Once, Galinda had entered Elphaba’s room without knocking and come face to face with the sight of Elphaba shoving something large and blue into herself while moaning.  She learned to announce her presence after that.

 

Elphaba peered up at her over her book.  She was curled in her typical fetal position on the bed, and looked engrossed in her reading.  

 

“I’m not wearing that, Galinda.  What I have on is fine.”

 

“We’re going to dinner, not to a funeral.  You’re wearing this or making me cookies every day for a month.”

 

Elphaba sighed dramatically, scowling at Galinda.  She slipped off her worn black dress and reached out for the blue one.  Galinda couldn’t help but admire her roommate’s slim frame.  Her breasts gave the rest of her small frame shape, sticking out slightly.  And the blue dress flattered her, even if she did look miserable in it.

 

“You look beautiful, Miss Elphie.”  Elphaba looked at her with miserable brown eyes.  “We’re meeting the boys at 7 at Josephine’s, so we should get going.  This gives me a chance to practice my transportation spell.”

 

“I don’t want a half-fledged magician casting any spells on me, Galinda.  Let’s just walk.  It’s close.”

 

Galinda smiled, and rushed to grab her wand.  She took Elphaba’s unwilling hand and muttered a spell under her breath, whisking them off to the restaurant.  Her roommate shot a glare at her, which she ignored. 

 

“Fiyero!” She rushed up to her friend and embraced him.  “You hungry?”

 

“Always.  Sorry about Lynn,” he replied.

 

“You should be apologizing to me about Lynn!” Elphie said, a sour look on her face.

 

“Well, yes, Elphie but it affects Galinda oh so much more.”  He pulled her into a reluctant hug as she rolled her eyes up to the sky.  They greeted Crope and Tibbett, and Elphaba looked happy to see them.  She had helped get the two of them together, a fact that she was very proud of.  

 

“Where’s Avaric?” Galinda asked Fiyero quietly as Elphaba chatted with Tibbett about something too dull for her to understand.

 

“He’s pregaming.”

 

“Ah, of course.  Well let’s go in.  He won’t mind.”

 

They got a table and ordered their drinks.  Galinda was happy to see the boys again.  During the summers they never got to see each other as often and she was almost excited for the school year to start back up again.  Elphaba got a few bottles of wine for them to share, which sent Galinda into quite a tipsy state on top of her margarita.  Avaric had arrived at some point, and they all received their food.  It tasted far better with the alcohol in her.  She glanced over at Elphaba, and was happy to see that her friend was smiling, her cheeks red with wine.  Once she got Elphie out of the house, the green girl tended to have a good time.  

 

“So what did this one do, Elphie?” Fiyero asked.

 

“Galinda, don’t you dare tell them,” Elphaba choked out through her giggles.

 

“Did she use her silverware wrong?” Avaric teased, pointing his spoon at her.

 

“No,” Galinda grinned, “She cheated.  On an exam.”

 

“Oh, you’ve got to be bloody joking.  Elphaba, half of the school cheats sometimes.  It’s necessary for grades.”

 

“Half the school is made of morons, you included, Avaric,” Elphaba said, mock sternly.  “And anyways, she was annoying.”

 

“I thought she was sweet,” Fiyero said.

 

“Her pussy was.”  They all laughed at that.  

 

“My dear Elphaba, I do believe you are drunk,” Tibbett said.

 

“I am.  But I’d like to be drunker.  Let’s go to the Handle and Broomstick.”

 

“That sounds excellent, but alas, Tibbett and I have plans at home,” Crope said, grabbing his boyfriend’s hand.  “You lot have fun.  Text us when you’re home.”

 

They stood up to leave with a last wave towards the table.

 

The other four followed soon after, giggling as they stumbled out of the restaurant.  Avaric was behaving himself very well tonight, and Elphaba seemed to be tolerating him better than usual.  The green girl was very affectionate after she’d been drinking, and she grabbed Galinda’s hand, swinging it up and down as they walked.

 

“Don’t you lot go getting together,” Avaric warned sternly.  “It’s bad enough that Crope and Tibbett are fucking.  This group can’t become couples, because Fiyero is married, and frankly, I prefer my men with a little less penis and a lot more pussy.”

 

“Yes, yes, we know you’re straight, Avaric.  Honestly.  It’s like the presence of gay couples threatens your masculinity,” Elphaba scoffed.  

 

“Oh good, here it is.  I need more drinks.  Far more drinks.”  Fiyero ushered them into the club hurriedly, running to the bar.  The other three followed, eager to continue their drinking.  Galinda got some fruity drink, which Elphaba clinked against her old fashioned.  

  
“To platonic friendships.”  Galinda drank deeply from her drink.  Elphaba looked radient under the dim lighting of the bar.  For once she looked a little less green.  Her bright eyes were shining, and the dress Galinda had loaned her fell off of her shoulders in an alluring way.  Galinda gulped and suddenly realized that she might be slightly attracted to her unattainable roommate.


	2. Intrusions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galinda and Elphaba finish out their nights in different ways.

Elphaba downed the drink in her hand as quickly as she could. She needed to get laid tonight. She looked around the club for potential victims. A cute girl on the dance floor in a pink dress. An effeminate boy standing against the wall with a drink in his hand. A girl wearing jeans and a T-shirt, looking bored as her friends danced. It would be one of those three tonight for sure. Or more than one of those three tonight depending on how things went. She turned back to Galinda. 

 

“See anything you like?”

 

“Oh, you know me, I don’t like the bar hookup scene.” Elphaba was surprised to see her roommate’s face was slightly flushed. She shrugged. 

 

“Alright. Well. I’m going off hunting. Be good.” Elphaba whirled off onto the dance floor, leaving a flustered Galinda behind her to finish her drink. Hopefully she would find Fiyero or Avaric and have some company. Elphaba hated dancing. She always felt like she had too many limbs to control, and grace did not come naturally to her. However, it worked well for picking up women, so she had learned to at least not trip over her own feet.

 

She made eye contact with the girl in the pink dress and gave her a little half smile. The other girl, a redhead around Elphaba’s age or a little younger, grinned back shyly. Elphaba wasn’t sure what it was about her green skin and large dark eyes that let her charm people she wanted to sleep with. Most of the world saw her as an ugly freak, but for some reason whenever Elphaba wanted to get lucky, she could just make eye contact with someone and instantly grab their attention. It hadn’t been that way at Shiz at all. But she had gained a lot of confidence since her school days, and portraying herself as exotic seemed to draw in the more unusual women to her, which were the type she liked anyways. 

 

Elphaba made her way over to the ginger and grabbed her hand, leading her to the center of the dancefloor. She pulled the girl in close to her and ran her hands from the girl’s waist back to her hips, caressing her in a purposeful way as they danced. Elphaba leaned into speak into her ear.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Erika,” the redhead said in a voice Elphaba could hardly hear. 

 

“Erika,” Elphaba said with a smirk. “I like it.” She pulled Erika’s face closer to hers and kissed her, gently at first, but more insistently as they continued. Her hands moved lower to grab Erika’s ass, and was pleasantly surprised to find that it was quite a bit bigger than it had looked from her conservative dress. 

 

She pulled Erika away to stare into her big blue eyes. 

 

“Oh yes. You’ll do,” Elphaba murmured, more to herself than to the other girl. “Do you want to get out of here? I live close.”

 

Erika nodded, and Elphaba led her out of the crowded club, waving to Fiyero on her way out. The alcohol had made Elphaba even more desperate than she already had been. Lynn’s sex drive had been far lower than hers, so the monogamous relationship had been incredibly repressive. She slung an arm over Erika’s shoulders as the walked. 

 

“What’s your name?” Erika asked.

 

“What do you want it to be?” Elphaba asked with a wry smile. She didn’t usually give out her name to the people she picked up from bars. It was too risky. Erika looked a little startled and fell back into silence for a moment. Elphaba wondered if it was the whiskey or if this girl was really as beautiful as she looked right now under the light of the street lamps. Her red hair hung in curls slightly past her shoulders, and her blue eyes were shining like sapphires against her pale skin. Elphaba liked her lipstick as well. Bright red. Cherry red. She smiled at her choice.

 

Before they knew it, they were at her flat’s door. Elphaba fumbled with her keys for a moment, cursing how clumsy alcohol was making her. Eventually she got the door open and dragged Erika into her room. She pulled off her comfortable black shoes and waited for the other girl to approach her. It didn’t take long. Somehow Erika was on top of her, pinning her down onto the bed. Elphaba met her lips again and realized that the other girl’s lipstick must be getting all over her. She found that she didn’t mind. She reached up to pull Erika closer to her, eliciting a moan from the other girl. Elphaba’s fingers tangled up in her curls as she forced Erika’s mouth onto her own, almost violently. The need she felt for her red-headed catch was overwhelming, and her hands were everywhere. She pulled at Erika’s dress, finding a zipper and freeing the other girl from the tight garment. 

 

Erika’s pale body reflected the light like a beacon, and Elphaba pulled away for a moment to admire her full breasts, hanging perkily above her ample stomach as if defying gravity. Elphaba pulled at her own dress, raising it over her head in a smooth motion. Erika was staring at her, mouth hanging partly open. 

 

“What’s the matter?” Elphaba asked with a grin. “Never seen a naked woman before?”

 

“Actually,” the other girl’s voice was soft and uncertain, “I-I’ve never done this before. With a woman, I mean.”

 

Elphaba rose an eyebrow at her in surprise. “Well then, little flower,” she replied, “What do you think?”

 

She untangled herself from Erika and stood up. Her small breasts fell against her thin body, making all of her angles even more apparent than usual. Erika stared at her in awe, as if amazed that a real naked woman stood before her. Elphaba smiled at her as she looked, unable to respond with words. She returned to the bed and sat next to Erika. Her green hand found its way to the other girl’s face, stroking it gently. 

 

“Are you sure this is how you want to do this? Half-drunk with a green Munchkinlander?” 

 

Erika just nodded, entranced, and leaned to meet Elphaba’s lips once again. Elphaba straddled her and pushed her down onto the bed, kissing her fiercely as she did. She had the other girl’s hands pinned up behind her head, grinding her thigh in between Erika’s legs. Erika’s pussy was dripping against Elphaba already and she smirked knowingly. Keeping the girl’s arms held back with one hand, she let her other hand trace down Erika’s body. As she caressed her neck, Erika shivered a little against her. Elphaba lingered on her collarbone for a moment, admiring the soft lines of it. She kissed the soft spot between the girl’s neck and shoulder eliciting a soft moan from Erika. 

 

Elphaba reached between Erika’s legs, caressing her thighs and inner legs. Erika was whimpering.

 

“Please touch me,” she begged, struggling a little against the hand holding her down.

 

“I am touching you.” Erika let out a frustrated groan, and Elphaba gently let her hand slide the full length of her pussy, teasing her softly. She gasped a little at how wet the other girl already was. Clearly she had been wanting to do this for a long time and was just now finally getting her chance. She let go of Erika’s hands and groped at her breast with her other hand as she gently pressed a finger into her lover’s dripping pussy. Kissing down Erika’s stomach as she gently began to thrust her finger in and out, she elicited more moans from the other girl, this time not of frustration. Elphaba let another green finger slide inside Erika, curling her fingers upwards to hit her g-spot. Erika gasped and thrust her hips into the other girl’s hand. The green girl’s tongue found her clit, lapping at it aggressively. Erika writhed beneath her, panting in pleasure. She grabbed Elphaba’s long dark hair, and pushed her face down onto her pussy. Elphaba felt Erika contract under her fingers with a strangled moan as she came, shuddering. Elphaba pulled away from her, satisfied. 

 

“It’s your turn,” Erika said, trying to pull her back onto the bed.

 

“You’ve never been with a woman before,” Elphaba replied a bit harshly, “You’d just leave me unsatisfied.”

 

“I’ve never cum like that before. I want to touch you. Please?”

 

“I’m not in the mood,” Elphaba replied in a bored tone. “Now put that silly pink dress back on and run back off to whatever sorority house you escaped from.”

 

Erika looked like she had been slapped in the face, and Elphaba felt a small twinge of regret. She still wasn’t sure why she lost interest so quickly, but now that the girl had gotten off, she had a very hard time seeing her sexually anymore. Usually she let her partners get her off before losing interest, but sometimes, like tonight, she got turned off at the sight of them cumming. Erika made some weird faces. 

 

“Well. If that’s what you want, then I’ll go.” There was a slight tremor to the red head’s voice as she put her pink dress that clashed violently with her hair back on. Elphaba threw on a shift, and walked Erika to the front door. “If you ever change your mind, take this.” 

 

Elphaba looked at the small slip of paper being handed to her and rolled her eyes. She had enough numbers to write out pi to the billionth term at this point. She reached out to take the slip of paper all the same. Erika looked as if she wanted to say something else, but ran off, with tears in her eyes. Galinda walked past her on the way to their apartment, shaking her head at the sight of the red head. 

 

“Two hearts in one night?” the blonde asked.

 

“That was a one night stand,” Elphaba protested. “It wasn’t breaking her heart. She got off. She should be satisfied.”

 

“Right,” Galinda replied with a sigh, taking of her high heels as she collapsed onto their couch. 

 

“How was your night?”

 

“Fiyero got drunk enough to puke, so I had to get him home. We ran into Boq and Shenshen, which was nice. I’m drunk as hell. Come sit with me.” 

 

Elphaba sighed and walked over to her roommate. She threw an arm around the blonde pulling her close. 

 

“I don’t know what I would do without you, Ms. Galinda. Even with all of your judgements and your dresses.”

 

“I’m sure you would do just fine,” Galinda replied with a sniff, leaning into her friend. “You’d just have worse fashion sense.” 

 

“I’m not sure if that’s possible,” Elphaba returned with a grin. The two sat in comfortable silence for a moment, comfortable in each others’ arms. “You don’t still have a thing for Avaric, do you?”

 

“I don’t understand why you hate him so much!”

 

“Because he is a shameless, immoral prat,” Elphaba returned, “And you know he is.”

 

“A shameless immoral prat that I’d like to fuck,” Galinda muttered and the two girls laughed. 

 

“Just don’t invite him out to consolation dinners anymore.”

 

“Don’t give me a reason to have consolation dinners anymore.”

 

“If my lovers would grow thicker skins I wouldn’t have to.”

 

Galinda sighed, and Elphaba couldn’t help the primal part of herself admiring the thick red lips of the other girl as she pouted. She turned her thoughts away from that. Galinda was her roommate, and her best friend. And she would hate herself forever if she messed that up. She pulled Galinda closer protectively, and let the alcohol catch up with her as she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Classes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Galinda returns to school and Elphaba returns to promiscuity.

Galinda groaned as her alarm clock screamed at her from the bedside table.  Blearily, she fumbled around for the snooze button and rolled back onto her stomach.  It was the first day of her senior year, and she had a class that began at nine.  She regretted her decision almost instantly, but it was too late to change it now.  Sleepily, she rubbed her eyes and walked to the kitchen to make some coffee.  Elphaba was perched on the sofa, a book open in front of her and a mug in her hand. She looked up and smiled as Galinda entered the room.

 

“Morning, roomie,” she said, returning to her book.  Galinda grunted in response, pouring water into the coffee maker.  After angrily pushing the start button, she retreated to her room to catch a few more minutes of precious sleep.  

 

“Turn off the water, Galinda,” Elphaba called out.  Cursing, the blonde returned to the kitchen and turned off the faucet.  

 

“How are you so awake?” she asked, exasperated.

 

“It’s eight o’clock.  I get up at six.”

 

“You aren’t even in school anymore, and you don’t work on Mondays.”

 

Elphaba raised an eyebrow.  “I’m afraid I don’t understand your point.  Why would I waste my day off by sleeping too much?”

 

Muttering about  _ freaking weirdos,  _ Galinda paced between the coffee maker and the couch, periodically checking to see if the coffee was done yet and glaring at Elphaba.  After what seemed like a million years, Galinda unplugged her coffee maker and added liberal amounts of sugar and cream to her prize. She sat next to Elphaba on the long black sofa and drank her coffee, staring into it glumly. 

 

“Tough classes today?” the green girl asked.

 

“Advanced spellwork and some history class.  I hate history.”

 

“History is the most important subject taught at Shiz,” Elphaba lectured.  “If we can’t learn from the past-” 

 

“Elphie, I’ve heard your thoughts on history a million times.  Can we just, please, right now, ok?  It’s too damn early for this.”

 

Elphaba stared at her for a moment, affronted.  “Drink your de-bitchifier faster.”  

 

Galinda shot her a quick scowl before raising her mug to her lips again.  “I can’t believe you’re not coming back this year.” 

 

“I got my degree, why would I ever go back to that hell hole?”

 

“Because it’s fun! You were offered a research position, for the Unnamed God’s sake! All of your friends are there!”

 

“None of those people were my friends,” Elphaba said in a bored tone.  “And I hated school.  It took my attention away from learning.  I only went because of Nessa, you know that.  And since the Loch Ness Monster is now back to living with my dear father, I’m free.  Not to mention a degree that allows me to do what I want to do.”

 

“Well,” Galinda said haltingly.  “It won’t be the same without you there, Elphie.”

 

“Galinda. You live with me.”

 

“I know, I just hate change.  Oh, I better go get ready.  I only have half an hour before I need to leave! That’s barely enough time to do my makeup.”  Galinda ran to her room, spilling coffee as she went.  She quickly threw on a coat of foundation and a liberal layer of blush.   _ A little red lipstick will make it look like I put effort in this morning, _ she thought, carefully applying it to her full lips.  Just a touch of mascara made her look adequate, she thought, grabbing one of her more casual dresses and throwing it on.  She rushed out the door, muttering a distance charm and waving to Elphaba as she did so.  

 

Galinda had her history class first.  She struggled to stay awake during syllabus review, which was dull enough in courses that weren’t history.  She glanced over at Fiyero and made a face at him.  Fiyero, always the dedicated student, turned back to the front without so much as a smile for her.  Galinda pouted prettily, sticking out her bottom lip in all its red glory. She looked around the classroom and was sad to see that none of her other friends were taking history.  She mindlessly doodled on her syllabus, drawing a girl with small tits and pointed features, naked and holding a broom.  Finally, they were dismissed and a sea of students faded into the halls.  Galinda bustled to catch up with Fiyero who gave her a smile, now that class was out.

 

“I liked your drawing, Glinda.  It reminds me of someone.”

 

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, annoyed at the more common form of her name.  Curiosity got the better of her, though, and she grudgingly continued. “Really? Of whom does it remind you?”

 

“How is your cranky roommate?  Is she lording the fact that she graduated a year early over us much yet?”

 

Galinda stared at him in disbelief.  “My drawing doesn’t look a bit like Elphaba.”

 

He wiggled his eyebrows at her disbelievingly, and she hotly continued, “And Elphaba is of course lording it over me.  Someone as arrogant as she is wouldn’t know how not to.  And I didn’t draw Elphaba on my page.  Fuck you.”

 

Fiyero laughed.  “My my, what terrible manners you have for a lady.”

 

“Yes, yes,” she muttered.  “My ladyness has been a bit off all day. I apologize, Fiyero.  What else do you have today?”

 

“Senior Life Sciences with Dillamond.  Elphaba says it’s excellent.  You?”  

 

“That sounds awful,” she shuddered.  “I simply haven’t the mind for the sciences.  It’s a good thing there are men like you to take it up.” Fiyero blushed a little, and Galinda felt a little bad for teasing him.  It couldn’t be easy to have a wife so far away and no release for hundreds of miles.

 

“I have advanced spell work,” she added with a simper to smooth the situation over.  “It’s with Miss Greyling.  She’s the best teacher I’ve had here.”

 

“It probably doesn’t hurt that she’s nice to look at.”

 

“Fiyero Tigelaar, that is very inappropriate,” she said, keeping her voice teasing.  Her tone was still tight.  She had come out to her friends as bisexual a few months ago, and they had all reacted very well, but her sexuality was still a sore subject.  She did not like jokes about her and other women. 

 

“My apologies, Miss Glinda,” he said with a sarcastic bow.  “Want to go out tonight? Celebrate the beginning of the year?”

 

“I’d love to! I’ll drag Elphie with me.  She’s had way too much energy the past few days.”

 

“Ah, is she not getting laid?”

 

She snapped her fingers.  “THAT’S what it is! Fiyero, you genius.  We need to get her laid tonight because she has been driving me absolutely mad.”

 

“I daresay Elphaba can get herself laid.  But bring her tonight anyways.  I need someone to keep Avaric in check.”

 

“I’ll keep him in check,” she pouted.

 

Fiyero grinned.  “No you won’t.  You’ll agree with everything he says in hopes that he drags you off and marries you, and makes you the wife of the Margreave of Tenmeadows.”

 

Playfully, Galinda pushed him.  “I’ll meet you at ten at Amazor’s.”  

 

He waved, and strode off towards his class.  Galinda continued along the packed corridor, managing to keep her status as she gently pushed through the crowds to find the magics classrooms.  Eventually, she managed to make it into the correct class.  She heaved herself into a seat, in the most graceful way she could manage, and looked around the classroom.  It was perilously empty this year, with only four students besides her in the advanced class.  She gave a friendly smile to Shenshen who smirked back at her.  Miss Greyling waved to her enthusiastically from the front of the classroom, beaming as if Galinda were her favorite student.  And perhaps she was.  Her favorite professor didn’t keep them in class long today. Just enough time to assign the textbook and give them the syllabus, as Galinda had expected.  She chatted with Shenshen for a few minutes, to keep appearances up, then magicked herself back home with hopes of a nap.

 

When she opened the door, however, she was affronted by the sight of a small green ass thrusting furiously into a Vinkus girl, who was making noises that suggested a tiger attack, not sex.  Galinda slammed the door to get her roommie’s attention, and after a moment, the Winkie and Elphaba both turned to face her.  Elphaba had a smirk on her face, and the Winkie looked mortified, trying to cover her brown breasts up with her hands.  Galinda realized she had never seen a Winkie naked before.  Blue triangles spanned the length of her torso, getting smaller around her breasts and her pussy.  Elphaba’s black strap-on contrasted with the triangles around her waist, pullet out and dripping onto the girl’s stomach.  Galinda found herself hypnotized by the markings, and tried her best to drag her attention back to Elphaba.

 

“Elphie! What’s the rule about fucking on the couch?”

 

“Never get caught on it.  In my defense, you’re home an hour early.” 

 

“Damnit, just get her out of here.  I have homework,” she lied, and retreated to her room.  She heard the two girls giggling in the living room and felt a stab of jealously hit her.  Galinda had never had the easy confidence around women that Elphaba did.  She was still learning how to TALK to girls.  Nevermind trying to get in their pants.  Not that she wanted the promiscuous lifestyle that Elphie seemed determined to lead, but she wanted the ability to have it.  Everything seemed to come so easily to her strange green roommate.  Galinda sighed to herself and began brushing out her long golden hair.  

 

After a while, she heard a knock at her bedroom door.

 

“Are you clothed?” she called out a little meanly.

 

“Find out,” came the reply. 

 

“Fine, you can come in.”  Elphaba stepped into the room, her cheeks slightly flushed with exertion.  

 

“I’m sorry, Galinda.  I didn’t mean for you to see that.  I just met her when I was buying herbs today, and I acted on impulse.  The couch rule remains sacred, I promise.  You can have one free couch fuck of your own, with the person of your choosing, and I won’t say a word.”

 

Galinda felt herself melting at her roommate’s words.  Elphaba couldn’t help being the way she was.  Galinda knew that her friend had had a childhood that followed her into her adulthood, and although she was selfish as hell, she wasn’t often malicious.  

 

“It’s alright,” she replied.  “At least it will be if you come out with Fiyero and I tonight.”

 

“Argh- I knew you’d hold it against me.  Damn.  Well.  I deserve this, I suppose.  And Avaric is coming, of course? It wouldn’t be a proper punishment otherwise.”

 

Galinda nodded, a little sheepishly.  “Please come? It’s always better when you do.  Bring the winkie, if you like.”

 

Elphaba frowned back.  “Don’t call her a winkie.  That’s incredibly derogatory, Galinda.  I expect better from you.” 

 

“Sorry,” Galinda amended, “The Vinkus girl.  Old habits.  You know I don’t mean any harm.”

 

Elphaba sighed.  “Fine.  I’ll go with you to your little soiree if you let me stay home friday night.”

 

“You have yourself a deal.”

  
Elphaba nodded and made her exit, closing the door softly behind her as she danced out.  In spite of her irritation, Galinda couldn’t help but notice the strange grace Elphaba moved with.  It was as though she was something more than an animal, but not quite an Animal.  Something that didn’t belong in this world, but moved easily in it regardless. She tore herself away and began the arduous task of picking a dress that would be appropriate for a night out with friends, and one for Elphaba to wear that would be more appropriate than anything the green girl owned.


	4. Avaric Tenmeadows

Elphaba pouted as she was dragged into the club. She detested her roommate’s desire to constantly go out. Clubs to Elphaba were only the means to the end of getting laid, and she usually had to be either very drunk or very horny to want to go to them. But she felt bad that Galinda had walked in on her earlier, so she had reluctantly agreed to go with her friends. Hidden in her bag was her latest book, a novel about dragons and princesses, which she normally didn’t like, but the author had an unpredictable charm about his story. Elphaba could tell the book was written with more passion than most people experienced in their lives, and she was intrigued at the depth of the emotion in the book. She wondered if she would ever feel that way.

 

Galinda noticed Shenshen, Phannee and the rest of her silly group of girls and abandoned Elphaba for them, squealing in delight as she ran up to them. Elphaba gave the club a once-over, decided no one interesting was there, and got a drink to retreat to a small table with her book. She sipped her whiskey sour and read, enjoying the club far better with a book in her hands. Suddenly, the book was snatched out of her hands, and the friendly face of Fiyero appeared in front of her.

 

“Hiya, Fabala,” he said with a grin, sitting across from her. 

 

“Don’t call me that,” she admonished, grabbing her book back and gently placing it into her bag. “Hello, Fiyero. It’s good to see you, you prick.”

 

“Always a pleasure, Miss Elphaba. Not enjoying the club scene today?” 

 

She grimaced, watching Galinda and her friends dance about foolishly. “There’s no one here that I want to fuck and no one here besides you, and Galinda I suppose, that I wish to talk to.”

 

“Well, I’m here now,” he said sympathetically, taking a long sip of her drink and making a face. “Why do you insist that your drinks taste like alcohol? We invented ways to hide that! You disgust me.”

 

“And you disgust me,” she said with a tight lipped smile. “How’s dear old Shiz?”

 

“Vexing. Classes are dull without you, and Dilamond is driving me mad.”

 

“I miss that old goat,” Elphaba said fondly. “How is he?”

 

“Working me and the rest of his slave-labor lab team to the bone. He’s on the verge of something wonderful, he says. He always thinks he’s on the verge of something wonderful.” 

 

“Maybe I shall stop in and say hello sometime.” Fiyero smiled at that.

 

“You know that if you do he won’t let you leave until you’ve accepted a position in his lab.”

 

Elphaba sighed. “You’re probably right. I never thought I’d miss school, and don’t tell Galinda this, but I miss it. Especially Dr. Dillamond.”

 

“Well then, come back to hell and join us! I’m going to get a drink. Do you want another?” Elphaba nodded in assent and pulled her book back out as he left for the bar. A hand was suddenly waving in front of her face, and she scowled at the interruption. Her frown deepened as she saw who the hand was attached to.

 

“Avaric,” she said politely, remembering that she owed Galinda one.

 

“‘Ello, Elphie,” Avaric said with a sloppy grin. He was clearly already drunk. “Have you seen Galinda?”

 

“She was off with her sodding friends on the dance floor, last I saw her.”

 

“Jealous?” he leered, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek.

 

“Why would I be jealous? God, Avaric, you smell like straight everclear.”

 

“Want some?” 

 

“No, fuck off.” Elphaba returned to her book as Avaric good naturedly stumbled towards the dance floor. Fiyero reappeared, carrying two fruity-looking drinks and worriedly watching Avaric’s retreat.

 

“Is he alright?” the Vinkus man asked. Elphaba shrugged as she took the drink.

 

“Is he ever? God, Fiyero, what is this? I’ll be hungover for days it’s so sweet.”

 

“This, Elphie, is a cosmo. And if I can drink it and retain my straight male pride, you can drink it and still attract whomever you want.” He clinked their glasses together, laughing at the expression on her face as she drank it.

 

“To you returning to Shiz.”

 

“Maybe. And for god’s sake, don’t tell Galinda. I crush her hopes often enough as it is.”

 

“Alright, I promise,” Fiyero said, changing the subject to her work. That was a wise move on his part. Elphaba’s work was one of the few things she was loquacious about, and she prattled on for far too long before realizing she might be being rude.

 

“Anyways, have you seen Galinda in a while? Maybe we should check on her.” Fiyero scanned the bar, landing on their target with wide eyes.

 

“Elphie, is that her? With Avaric?” Elphaba looked to the dancefloor and was shocked to see Avaric with his hands all over her friend and his tongue down her throat. She felt a sudden fire rise up in her chest as she watched, and she felt a bit sick. 

 

“What the fuck is he DOING to her?”

 

“Are you alright?” Fiyero looked concerned as he surveyed the green girl.

 

“No, I’m not alright. Seeing him touch her like that- it’s sick. That’s what it is.”

 

“You’ve been with far worse,” Fiyero reminded her, worry still clear in his eyes.

 

“But it’s GALINDA, she should know better than to- oh fuck.” Elphaba’s face paled as she realized what emotion she was feeling.

 

“What?”

 

“I think I’m jealous.”

 

“Of Galinda?” Fiyero put a hand up to her forehead to check if she was ill.

 

“No, not of Galinda, you prat. Of Avaric.”

 

“Oh.” Understanding bloomed in Fiyero’s eyes and he put a reassuring hand on her arm. “I’m sure crushes on roommates are very common. You just need to bed someone else to get over it.” Elphaba nodded unhappily.

 

“You’re probably right. Are you seeing anyone right now?” Horrified, Fiyero shook his head.

 

“I didn’t mean me!” 

 

“Like I would fuck you,” Elphaba scoffed. “I was just making conversation.” Looking a bit hurt, Fiyero set his drink down.

 

“I’m married, Elphie. Even though I don’t think my child wife would care if I casually saw someone down here.”

 

“Well, I already got laid today, so I’ll find you someone tonight,” Elphaba said charitably. “Your Vinkus bride probably is already busy with paramores and concubines, so you should get to have a little fun as well.”

 

“Maybe you’re right,” Fiyero sighed. “It has been too long. I could practice for Salima.”

 

Elphaba nodded and rescanned the ballroom, trying to distract herself from her revelation about Galinda. She shuddered as she saw a very drunk Avaric leading a more sober Galinda out of the bar, and couldn’t stop her imagination from depicting all of the sordid things they’d be doing together in mere minutes. Composing herself, she saw a girl across the bar that looked like Fiyero’s type. Rather boring looking, she decided, but that’s what Fiyero seemed to prefer. The girl had long brown hair that hung to her waist, and shimmered in the dim light of the bar.

 

“What about her?” Elphaba asked, gesturing to the girl. 

 

“You have good taste, Miss Fabala.” Elphaba rolled her eyes at the diminutive. She hated nicknames with all of her heart. She had grown used to Elphie, and minded it less when Galinda called her by it, but Fiyero was the only one who dared call her Fabala. Before him, only her father had done so, when she was a small girl. 

 

“Go on, go speak to her.” Fiyero looked terrified. “You’re charming and brilliant and exotic looking,” Elphaba assured him, pushing him from the table. Fiyero walked over to the girl, downing his drink nervously as he approached her. Elphaba happily returned to her book, trying to keep all thoughts of Galinda and Avaric as far from her mind as she could. After a while, she looked up at a clock on the wall. She was shocked to find that hours had gone by. Fiyero was nowhere to be seen, and she hoped that he had taken the girl home. It was late enough that she could leave without seeming rude to her friends, so she did so, taking the longer path home. Elphaba loved walking in the dark. It seemed as though she was the only person in the world, once the sun had set and the streets were empty. She grinned to herself under a streetlight, forgetting about everything for a moment as she stared up through the cold night air.

 

Eventually she made her way home. She was happily surprised to realize that Galinda wasn’t there. If she had to fuck Avaric, at least she was doing it where Elphaba didn’t have to see or hear it. The green girl had half expected to arrive home to them fucking on the couch. She craddled her bag with her book inside to her chest, and retreated to her bedroom, where she planned to read the night away, busying her mind so that she wouldn’t have to think about jealousy, or Galinda, or that stupid fucker Avaric.


	5. Chapter 5

Galinda left a still-drunk Avaric on his bed around three in the morning and tiptoed out of his room.  Crope and Tibbett were spooning on the couch, but lept to their feet when they saw  her.

 

“Galinda! That’s Avaric’s room!” Crope exclaimed in astonishment.

 

“Keep your voice down,” she scowled.  “You’ll wake him up.”

 

“Did you fuck Avaric?” Tibbett asked in a softer voice.  

 

“Was it good?” Crope asked curiously.

 

“Yes I did,” Galinda said haughtily.  “And… and no.  It was terrible.”

 

“Sorry Galinda,” Tibbett said sympathetically, gesturing to a spot on the couch.  “Sit down and tell us all about it.”

 

Galinda reluctantly tiptoed to the couch and sat between the couple.  “Well he was a good kisser.  We were both drunk.  He was wasted.  I don’t remember who came on to who.  But then we were kissing on the dance floor.  And then he asked me back here.”  

 

Crope and Tibbett were an excellent audience, and Galinda found herself growing more confident with the telling of her story.  “And then, we came back here.  And went to his room.  And made out some more.  And then he stuck three fingers in my pussy.”

 

“He did what?” Crope asked in horrified fascination.

 

“He put three fingers inside me,” Galinda repeated.  “No foreplay.  No nothing.  Just stuck them all in at once like I was some whore on the side of the yellow brick road.”

 

“Did it hurt?”

 

“Well, obviously it hurt,” she said exasperated.  “If I stuck three fingers into your dry asshole would it hurt?”   
  


Both men grabbed their buttocks in consternation.  “Right, well did you keep hooking up with him?”

 

Galinda sighed.  In an embarrassed tone, she continued, “Yes, I fucked him.  He’s Avaric Tenmeadows.  He’s the kind of man my parents would die over.  I’ve wanted to fuck him since freshman year.”

 

“Well?”  Tibbet asked.

 

“Well what?”

 

“How was the sex?”   
  


“Did you not hear the part about the three fingers being unceremoniously shoved into my dry vagina?  The cock went in two minutes later.  Two minutes after that, it was over.”  Crope began to laugh hysterically.  Tibbett reached over Galinda to hit him. 

 

“Excuse him,” he said, giving his boyfriend a dirty look.  “I had a bit of a thing for Avaric last year.  Before Crope and I hooked up.  I’m sorry, Galinda.  Avaric can be a bit of an ass.”

 

“Well I always knew he was an ass,” Galinda said huffily.  “I just thought that I could deal with the fact he was an ass if it meant I could be the Margreavess.”

 

“And you can’t?” Crope asked between giggles. 

 

“No,” Galinda said sadly.  “I don’t need AMAZING sex.  But I need bearable sex.”

 

“And Galinda’s dreams of becoming a gold digger dissipated, as evanescent as smoke in the wind,” Tibbett said solemnly.

 

Galinda scowled at him.  “I’ll be a gold digger with an old gentleman who knows how to please a lady.  Obviously looks aren’t everything.”

 

“So do you think he knows it was terrible?”

 

“Of course not,” she replied affronted.  “I’m an excellent lover and I’m sure he thinks it was great sex.  I just hope he doesn’t want to hook up again.”

 

Crope and Tibbett exchanged glances.  “Hopefully he doesn’t.  But Avaric can get a bit clingy.  Be careful,” Tibbett said.  

 

Galinda nodded and stood to leave, hugging her friends goodbye.  “See you at school.”

 

By the time she arrived home, the sun was beginning to peak over the Vinkus mountains.  Sighing, Galinda resolved to get ready for her classes instead of trying to catch an hour of sleep.  She opened the door to the flat to find Elphaba in her usual spot on the couch, curled up with a book in one hand and a mug in the other.  The green girl didn’t even look up as she entered.

 

“Morning, Elphie,” she yawned, walking to the kitchen to make herself some coffee.  Elphaba gave her a small nod, seemingly unable to tear herself from her book.  Galinda blearily made her way to her room, barely able to keep her eyes open.  She peeled her dress from the night before off her sore body, and winced as it stuck to her skin in places, held to her by sweat or some combination of sexual fluids she didn’t want to think about.  On instinct, she stood in front of her floor-length mirror, studying herself in her reflection.   Her breasts hung soft and heavy in place.  Galinda gave them a sleepy grin.  They were her best feature by far.  Her waist tapered down to her generous bottom, like an hourglass.  She pinched the extra layer of fat on her stomach, annoyed.  Perhaps she should cut back on the dining hall deserts.

 

Giving herself one more admiring glance, Galinda grabbed clothes for the day and covered herself.  She retrieved her coffee and plopped herself next to Elphaba on the couch.  Her roommate still didn’t look at her.  

 

“How was your night?” she asked tentatively.  Elphaba finally put down her book, looking a bit reluctant. 

 

“It was good.  I hooked up with that Vinkus girl again.  She’s a pretty good lay.  I may just keep her around.”

 

“Oh,” said Galinda, feeling a little disappointed that her roommate had managed to have a good night where she hadn’t.  “Well does she make cookies?”

 

“That wasn’t part of the interview process,” the green girl said wryly.  “So you fucked the worst person we know, did you?”

 

Galinda grimaced.  She was hoping that her roommate wouldn’t have heard about Avaric yet, but Elphaba didn’t miss much.  “He’s not the worst person we know, Elphie.”

 

“Well if you don’t count Madame Morrible, he’s probably the worst person we know.”  Elphaba’s dark brown eyes were narrowed.  Calculating.

 

“Oh don’t be dramatic.”  Galinda sighed dramatically, throwing her hands in the air.  “Avaric isn’t that bad.  He’s just a bit of an idiot.  If I judged you by every person you’ve slept with, we wouldn’t be friends.”

 

“You know I hate him, Galinda.  Why did you do it?”

 

“Not everything is about you, Elphaba,” Galinda reprimanded.  “I slept with him because he is rich, his family is powerful, and he has the connections that I want.  I’ve told you before that I planned on doing it eventually.”

 

Elphaba scoffed, a tinge of red appearing on her cheeks.  “You’re better than that.  You don’t have to cow down to men that want to fuck you just because they’re powerful.”

 

“Excuse me?” Galinda said, feeling her temper rise up.  “I didn’t ‘cow down’ to anyone.  I planned to fuck him from the first moment I met him.  He’s attractive, successful and powerful.  And if I want to, I’ll keep fucking him.”

 

“Fine.  Do what everyone expects pretty, airheaded Galinda to do.  Fuck the arsehole of Margreave and marry him, because it’s the easy thing to do and no one thinks you’re capable of doing anything else.  But you are capable of something else, Glinda.  Don’t kid yourself.  You’re a lot smarter than you look.  I’m disappointed.”

 

“I’m smart enough not to listen to someone who’s insulting me every other sentence,” she shot back, hurt.  “I’ll live my life the way I want to, and if you can’t accept that, it’s your problem not mine.”

 

“Fine,” Elphaba said flatly, standing from her perch, “But don’t come crying to me in ten years when you’re miserable.  You’ve made your choice.”  With that, she stomped off to her room, slamming the door.

 

“Oh, very mature, Elphie,” Galinda shouted.  “That’ll solve everything.”  Still seething, she finished her coffee and hurriedly threw on her makeup, hoping that the few angry tears that escaped her eyes wouldn’t mess it up. Shooting a last glare at her roommate’s closed door, she made her way to her first class.  She took a seat near the back of the room.  Fiyero appeared next to her a few minutes later.

 

“Trouble in paradise?” he asked, and Galinda quickly tried to smooth over her brooding face.

 

“Oh no, everything is just fine.”

 

“I spoke with Crope and Tibbett this morning.  That bad, huh?”  Galinda cringed internally.

 

“Don’t say anything to Elphaba.  It wasn’t THAT bad.  I spoke to them right after it happened.  I think I’m going to keep seeing him.”  Fiyero rolled his eyes.

 

“Did she insult your pride?”  

 

“Maybe a little,” Galinda admitted.  “She really hates him.”

 

“You don’t have to keep banging someone just to get back at your roomie, you know.”

 

Galinda sniffed haughtily.  “If I continue seeing Avaric, it will not be because I am trying to get back at my roommate.  It will not be because you or Crope or Tibbett convinced me to do so. It will not even be because of his glorious locks of golden brown hair.  It will be because I want to continue seeing him.  And you can pass that sentiment on to Elphaba as well.”  Fiyero groaned.

 

“Alright, whatever you say, Miss Galinda.”  Galinda turned back to the front of the class and pretended to be deeply engrossed by the writing on the blackboard.  Inwardly a sea of shame sloshed around her guts enough to make her feel physically ill.  She closed her eyes as a boring history lecture began, and didn’t awaken again until it was over. 

 

Avaric caught up with her after class, that sardonic smirk of his plastered onto his face.  Galinda tried to remember how she had ever found that attractive, channelling her past self as she smiled flirtatiously back up at him.

 

“Good morning, beautiful,” he drawled.  “You were gone this morning before I could give you another round.”

 

“Oh I didn’t realize you would have given me another round,” she simpered, stalling while she figured out a good reason for leaving so early.  “I’d hate to force my presence on you if it wasn’t wanted in the morning.”

 

“A lady as pretty as you is always welcome in my bed,” Avaric said, “And I’m sad I didn’t get to wake up to your face.”  Galinda felt her heart flutter a bit despite herself.   _ Sex can get better,  _ she thought,  _ and it isn’t the most important part of a relationship. _

 

“Well then I’ll have to give you a chance to do that sometime.”

 

“How about tonight?” he asked, looping his arm through hers.

 

“I can do tonight,” she replied, “And Elphaba usually works late on Tuesdays, so you can come over to my place.”  The devious part of her wanted to fuck him on the couch, in all of his naked glory, so that Elphaba would have to see him doing her.  But then she realized that Avaric might not last long enough for her roommate to appear.  Beds were better for sex anyways.

 

“Excellent,” Avaric said, looking pleased.  In a mockingly formal tone, he asked, “May I escort you to your next class, m’lady?”

 

“My next class is lunch, m’lord,” Galinda said with a giggle.  “But I would like nothing better.  I promised Fiyero and Boq I’d eat with them today.”

  
“The more the merrier!”  Galinda wondered why Elphaba couldn’t see the side of Avaric that she saw, the idiotic but playful gentleman who was brash, it was true, but not unkind.  His friends loved him, and he got good marks.  She shook her head at how pig-headed her best friend could be sometimes and let Avaric Tenmeadows lead her to the student dining halls.


	6. Chapter 6

Elphaba went to see Doctor Dillamond the next day. It wasn't that she didn't like her job, she enjoyed it, but the best parts of it reminded her of the lab she'd worked at in University, and she missed the old goat. She found him in his lab, waving his arms about as though conducting his student employees. She watched him for a few minutes, fond smile on her lips. Finally he turned and noticed her, his face breaking into a wide grin.

 

"Elphaba Thropp! Come in, my girl. Come in! Why, it's been ages. Far too long. How are you?" She waited for him to finish babbling, surprised at how comforting his endless chatter still was. 

 

"I'm well," she said. "I've missed you, Doctor. What are you working on?" He waved his hands again, and the students sprang back into motion, occasionally shooting him guilty glances. 

 

"Much the same as before, my dear, much the same. I'm still trying to puzzle out the differences between Animals and animals. What are you working on these days?"

 

"Nothing nearly as interesting," she admitted, staring wistfully at the many tissue samples and DNA models that spanned the room. She sighed. "I missed this place."

 

"And it missed you. Come, come into my office and we'll catch up." She followed the goat to his office, being careful not to step on any of the animal bones strewn across the floor. "So, you realized, as so many of us do, that you're miserable without some kind of academia in your life, have you?"

 

She chewed her lip. "I'm not miserable. But I miss the freedom. And studying what I want to study. At my job I do the same old experiments over and over. It gets so old, and vexing, doing someone else's busy work for them."

 

"What do you think my students do for me?" Her lip curled.

 

"I know- but it isn't the same." 

 

He gave her a kind, wrinkled smile. "I know. I worked private sector for a while, years ago, mind, when they'd still hire Animals. I was always drawn back here. Have you ever thought about going further with your education?"

 

She snorted. "I thought I hated education. I don't even know what I'd study-"

 

"Life sciences, of course, with me. If you wanted to, Elphaba, I'd get you into the graduate program. We'd probably even be able to offer you a stipend. Not as generous as I'm sure your salary is now, but it would be something."

 

"I don't know," she said. "I didn't think I wanted to come back at all, but then Fiyero-"

 

"Ah yes, Fiyero, I'd nearly forgotten you two were friends. Bright young man. Exceedingly lazy."

 

She grinned. "That's right. He was talking about your lab. It made me miss it."

 

"Well, I'll tell you what I can do. It's far too late to get you enrolled this semester, but why don't you come down a few times a week? I won't be able to offer you pay, but you could apply the credit towards a degree, if you choose later. Then you can be back in the lab, on a trial basis. If you find you like it, you could enroll in the spring. I really could use a pair of steady hands and good eyes. Not to mention a brain. Some of these new ones I've replaced you with..." he shook his head, brow drawn low across his eyes. "I mean it, Elphaba."

 

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, I'll do it. It can't hurt, can it?"

 

He grinned, and having one, directed the conversation to other things. By the time she left, she was grinning broadly, ecstatic to be back around someone smarter than her, around a lab where new discoveries were being made. She set off in search of Fiyero to thank him for making her stop by. He wasn't in any of his usual haunts, not out on the lawn gossiping or in the dining halls, so she assumed he had class, and went to walk home. She stopped when she saw Galinda walking hand in hand with that stupid Tenmeadows guy. Fire filled her chest at the image, rising from her chest to fill her mouth with bile. She choked it down as Galinda saw her and gave her a wave, far more reluctant than it normally would be. She tried to compose herself, tried to convince herself that it didn't matter, that her roommate was free to do whatever she wanted, whatever Elphaba's opinion was. Today, for once, she didn't find herself very convincing as she tried to force a smile onto her face. It looked more like a pirate's scowl.

 

"Hey, Elphie," Galinda said tentatively.

 

"Hey," she managed to choke out past her disgust.

 

"We were just off to class. Do you want to walk with us?" Avaric offered in that sickeningly smooth voice of hers, his stupid perfect hair glimmering under the lights of the entryway. She swallowed hard, trying to give off some sort of normal aura.

 

"No," she said through gritted teeth. Reluctantly she added, "Thank you, Avaric. I have to get home. I only came to see Dr. Dillamond."

 

"Dr. Dillamond?" Galinda asked. "Why were you there to see him?"

 

Avaric pulled on her hand, very childishly, in Elphaba's opinion, and led her away down the hallway. Elphaba didn't answer, she just watched her friend get led away, questions and something like apology in her eyes. Her hatred of the man increased by a few more decibels her entire walk home. Who did he think he was, dragging Galinda away from a conversation with her friend like that? Could she not even make her own decisions of when to leave a conversation anymore? She seethed, mumbling under her breath, causing several fellow pedestrians to watch her nervously, hands in their pockets. By the time she reached her home, she had worked herself into what could only be described as a blind rage. She threw herself onto her bed, grabbed her most durable pillow, and screamed into it, channeling everything into the scream. It was a trick she'd learned when she was a child growing up in the Vinkus. There was never anything she could do about all of the questioning glances, the open stares, the pointing. Nothing productive anyway. Her father taught her that instead of lashing out, she had to control herself. When she had to scream, she did it quietly, where no one else could hear. She still did.

 

Then she picked herself up off the bed, feeling considerably better, and did the second thing she did when she was angry. She made a booty call to a quadling girl she'd been seeing. Ara. She was pretty sure that was the right name.

Ara had the usual frame for a quadling, Her skin was soft and pink, her eyes huge and round. Elphaba liked her, although there was a disturbing resemblance between the girl and her parents' dead lover, Turtle Heart, who had helped raise her for years before the clock. She hoped very much that there was no relation. She had no interest in anyone her fool of a mother had loved. Trying not to think too hard, she let Ara in. She avoided the tempting embrace of the couch this time, though it would show Galinda if she got caught on it again, and instead led her lover to her own room. Ara kissed her, nearly knocking her backwards with the force of her embrace. Elphaba responded with enthusiasm, drawing the girl close, slipping her dress over her head in a smooth motion. Her fingers caught on the deep scar that ran from Ara's shoulder to her hip. Elphaba had never asked about it. Neither of them liked to speak much, which was another valuable thing about Ara, and Elphaba didn't even know how the quadling girl had ended up so far north, let alone how she'd gotten the scar that stretched across her stomach. Ara grabbed her hand and moved it down, settling it firmly on her breast. Elphaba gave it an experimental squeeze, feeling a rush of heat run through her at the soft curves. She took of her own clothing, throwing it into a disorganized heap on the floor, then turned her attentions back to the naked quadling.

 

She ran her hands from the girl's collar bone to her breasts, eliciting a gasp, then moved down more to grip her hips, pulling their bodies together. She could feel the girl's heat against her skin, feel the soft contrast of pink and green together. Pink and green, she thought. Now there's a good combination. Chiding herself for thinking about Galinda yet again, she kissed the quadling, moving her lips down to her neck, giving her a playful bite giving her goosebumps all over her body. Her fingers moved again, to the girl's ass, feeling how compact it was, yet somehow full enough of cushioning for her to grab it with ease. The quadling let out a soft sigh, leaning into her. Elphaba felt her snaking her hands up and reaching her own breasts, squeezing them, in some mix of pain or pleasure. She let out a gasp, surprised at herself. She didn't gasp. Not usually. She had complete control when she fucked others. But Ara seemed to have other plans. Elphaba fell backwards onto the bed, Ara on top of her, a comfortable weight on her chest. Ara kissed her, pushing her tongue into Elphaba's mouth while her hands roamed across the thin green body. Elphaba found herself arching her hips forward, meeting Ara's, and she wrapped her legs around the pink girl's back, pulling her down against her. 

 

Ara was dripping wet. Elphaba could feel her against her stomach, and let out another groan, pulling her closer as her hand made its way between Ara's legs. It felt like she was dipping a finger into a hot spring, so warm and wet and welcoming, begging for touch. She rolled her finger in a circular motion, making the quadling shudder, and then Elphaba felt a hand against her pussy, leaning into it happily. She added another finger to Ara, rubbing the heel of her hand up against her clit as she fucked her. She tried to concentrate, tried so hard to concentrate on the other girl, but Ara was doing something wonderful with her fingers, some sort of circle thing, and she found her own hands slowing as she pushed herself onto Ara's hand, gasping. The pleasure built, and she made herself keep rubbing Ara. Her moans drove more pleasure into Elphaba's body, and she pushed up hard onto Ara's g-spot, making the girl spasm into an orgasm. Elphaba quickly followed, grinding against Ara's motionless hand, getting herself off with the other girl's body. She collapsed onto the bed, panting, next to Ara, Galinda finally far from her mind. She glanced at the quadling girl, who had fallen asleep with her tongue lolling out, and let out a breathless laugh, watching her sleep.

 

She hadn't been fucked that good in a long, long time. If ever. Something about the way quadlings dragon-snaked, the pure uninhibitedness of it, had pushed every button she had at once. No matter what she found wrong with the girl, she made herself promise that she'd keep her around. You didn't find sex that good on every street corner after all. Frowning, she thought of Galinda. Maybe Avaric was amazing in bed. Maybe that's why Galinda had finally decided to sleep with him. Why she was holding hands with him and apparntly wanted to do it again. Not that it mattered. As attracted to Galinda as she had recently found herself, she could never risk her relationship with her roommate. Galinda was her best friend. One of the few friends that she even cared about at all. She couldn't risk that for sex. She could get sex anywhere, with anyone she wanted it with. A rush of shame hit her as she realized she had already jeopardized their friendship by acting like such an arse about Avaric. As stupid as Elphaba thought it was that her roommate was dating such a dick, it really wasn't her choice, or any of her business. It was Galinda's, and no matter what stupid choices she made, Elphaba was her friend. She had to support her anyways. She lay back on the bed, mind a haze of sex and frustration, and let herself doze off, Ara beside her snoring.


	7. Chapter 7

Galinda magicked herself home, frustrated beyond belief. Crope had been right; Avaric was clingy. Very clingy. And she was far too polite to tell him to back down, so she had been forced to spend the afternoon with him. She thought she might be able to escape when Elphaba appeared, but Avaric had dragged her away from her friend like a dog on a leash. It wasn't fair. All she had done was slept with him. She hadn't agreed to marry him or anything, and he was acting like they were eternally bonded. And maybe they were. Maybe they should be. Maybe she shouldn't mind. Life as the Margreavess wouldn't be that bad. It would be exactly what she wanted for herself, in fact. She should just play along and let whatever would happen happen, and wind up a rich old woman laughing at the world from behind her diamonds. But it felt wrong. Avaric felt wrong. Wrong enough that even she might not be able to pretend everything was wonderful. She entered the apartment, ready to tell Elphie everything and beg for help. When she saw her roommate baking in the kitchen with a quadling girl she didn't know, however, she bit her tongue.

 

"Galinda," Elphaba said, turning to her with a broad grin. "How are you? Look, I owe you an apology. Just because I hate Avaric, that doesn't give me the right to be an arse about you dating him. I wanted to say I'm sorry. With cookies."

 

Galinda felt a familiar pride grip her, and whatever confession she would have made was gone from her mind, leaving only the bright, breathy mask she wore to protect herself. She let out a tinkling laugh. "Oh, Elphie, I've forgotten it already. Although I will take some cookies. Who is this?"

 

The quadling girl turned to her, and Galinda nearly gasped at how pretty she was. If anyone was pretty enough to captivate her Elphie, it was this girl, with her pink skin, and her huge brown eyes and dark hair. Her lips were a natural red, and parted slightly as though waiting for a kiss. "I am Ara," she said in a slow, careful voice.

 

"Pleasure to meet you, Ara. I'm Galinda." She turned to Elphaba. "I'm glad you found one that can bake. Good luck with those cookies. Try not to burn down the house."

 

"Do you want to make them with us?" Elphaba offered. Galinda did. She wanted to help them make cookies and cry about her stupid mistakes until she felt better, but she couldn't. Her pride, stupid pride wouldn't let her. 

 

"I wish I could," she lied. "But I have so much homework. I'm learning new spells, half of which I can't even pronounce. I should work. I'll be back later, I promise. Ara, it was nice to meet you." 

 

Ara gave her a nod, and turned back to the bowl and Elphaba. Galinda rushed to her room, shutting and locking the door before collapsing onto her bed, allowing herself a few quiet sobs into her pillow. Life was unfair. She had made too many stupid mistakes to find an easy way out of this one, she knew, so she sat miserably in her room, hating herself, while her roommate laughed aloud with the new girl in the kitchen. By the time she felt she could turn to her school work, her eyes were red and her nose running. She muttered a spell, which cleared her face a little, not enough. She glared at her reflection for a moment, wishing it would go back to the way it normally looked, on days when she didn't cry, but it glared back at her, stubborn and unchanged. She turned to her book of spells, with their long-winded explanations and archaic verbiage, and tried to distract herself, to lose herself in the magic. After a few moments, though, her face was resting against the book, and she let herself drift into a deep, dreamless sleep.

 

When she awoke, Elphaba was perched on her bed, staring at her with bright eyes. "Good morning."

 

"Didn't I lock that door?" Galinda asked sleepily. 

 

"You did," Elphaba said, unapologetic. "But I wanted to talk to you and you didn't answer."

 

"You know, usually when one doesn't answer, it means they're busy. It doesn't mean break into their room."

 

"You could have been dead, Galinda. I could have saved you from choking. You never know."

 

"What do you want?" she asked, rubbing her eyes. She looked at Elphaba more closely. If she didn't know any better, she'd say her roommate was- well, starstruck. Her eyes were nearly glowing, and she had her curious half-smile on her face, the one that meant she was truly happy.

 

"I think I like Ara."

 

"Well, I would hope so. You did fuck her, afterall."

 

"No, Galinda, I mean it. I really think I really like her. She's funny, and soft-spoken, and she doesn't cheat. And she's very smart. She's one of the only quadlings who got an education at Shiz. And she's amazing in bed." Galinda felt a flash of anger run through her. Or maybe it was jealousy, although she couldn't say which girl, Elphaba or Ara, she was more jealous of. She took a deep breath, channeling breathy Galinda. 

 

"Well that's wonderful, Elphie. So are you two dating then?"

 

Elphaba rolled her eyes. "No, I don't want to put any labels on it or anything. I've only seen her a few times. But I think I may actually like this one."

 

"Good," Galinda said, trying to throw some sincerity behind the word. She wasn't sure if she succeeded. 

 

"So," Elphaba said, crossing her legs and pulling them up to her chest. "Tell me about Avaric, then. I will really do my best not to barf."

 

Galinda gave her a tight-lipped grin. "Well, as you saw today, we've been spending quite a bit of time together. I think he's quite besotted with me."

 

"Well that's great. That's what you wanted, right?"

 

"Yes," she said sadly. "It's everything I wanted. I couldn't be happier."

 

Elphaba frowned. "You don't sound very happy. What's wrong?"

 

Galinda cursed herself, wishing her roommate wasn't so bloody perceptive. "Oh, nothing. You know me." She let out another laugh, thinking frantically as she bought herself time. "I'm just afraid it won't last. I mean, he's in line to be the next Margreave. What if he gets tired of me and moves on to someone younger and prettier?"

"You worry too much," Elphaba said, still scrutinizing her. Galinda gulped, plastering a smile onto her face. She hoped it was convincing enough. "Of course he won't. He's the biggest asshole I've ever met. You're by far the best thing he could ever get."

 

"Do you really think so?" she asked.

 

"Of course I do. You're Galinda Upland. Anyone would be lucky to have you. You're wonderful." Galinda felt herself blushing. Elphaba never paid this many compliments to anyone. Usually, if she didn't make any degrading comments towards you, she liked you. That's how you could tell. But here she was, showering Galinda with every nice thing she'd ever wanted to hear. Elphaba must really feel guilty for what she'd said about Avaric earlier. So at least one good thing had come from the whole Avaric mess. Her phone chimed, and she glanced at it. Four new texts from Avaric.

 

Hey beautiful. Want to hang out tonight?

 

We could go to the White Swan. They have a great Zinfandel .

 

Let me know soon so I can make the reservation.

 

?

 

She rolled her eyes. All four texts had been sent within the last twenty minutes. And she really, really did not want to get dinner with him. She opened the messages, staring at the screen for a moment.

 

"Is that Avaric?" Elphaba asked. "Are you two going out again tonight?"

 

Galinda had a spark of inspiration. "Yes. Do you want to come? With Ara? Please? It'll make up for all of those terrible things you said the other night."

 

Elphaba frowned, for once looking a little guilty. Secretly Galinda loved her power of guilting Elphie. No one else seemed capable of it, and she could wrap her green friend around her finger with only a few choice words. "Do I have to?"

 

"Yes. Come on, it'll be fun. Give you a chance to get to know Ara with clothes on."

 

"But I like her so much with her clothes off! What if it ruins things?"

 

"Then it wasn't meant to be in the first place," Galinda said, making her eyes as wide and innocent as possible.

 

Elphaba sighed. "Alright I'll go. For you. Just don't make me talk to Avaric too much."

 

Galinda grinned in triumph. "I promise. On my honor. I'll text him back! This is going to be so much fun. Go get ready. I'll come grab you in a few minutes." 

 

Elphaba shuffled off, mumbling obscenities under her breath. Galinda sighed, typing out a message to Avaric. 

 

Sounds lovely. Is it Okay if Elphaba and her new girlfriend come? Elphie wants to make them stay in again and I feel bad for her girl.

 

Avaric texted back, not even a minute later, as though he'd been staring at his phone, waiting for her message. 

 

I'll make the reservation for four! Pick you up at eight? He was such a gentleman. Why could she not get on board with the whole thing? She sighed. She would give him a chance. A real chance. Forget the whole sex thing had happened, and try again. He was probably lovely, beneath his asshole exterior. She texted him back with an affirmative, then set about finding clothes for the night. She settled on a rose-pink dress, the same color as Ara's skin. It would make her look especially fair when compared to the quadling girl. Her hair she tucked into a bun at the nape of her neck, with tendrils curling out and hanging at her shoulders. When she was certain that she looked good enough to be seen in public, she opened her door and yelled out for Elphaba.

 

"Elphie, how do I look? Is my hair okay? Why are you not dressed?"

 

"This is what I'm wearing," Elphaba said. Galinda surveyed the well-worn blue dress with wide eyes.

 

"Absolutely not."

 

"It's not negotiable today." Elphaba sat on the couch giving her a cross look. Then the green girl's eyes raked her up and down, lingering around where her dress hugged her breasts. Her brown eyes softened, and Galinda felt suddenly self-conscious. "And you look lovely."

 

"Thank you," she said. She looked away, then retreated to her room, shy. She was never shy and she didn't understand why that was changing now. But she knew that it would be far too awkward to stay in that room with Elphie than it would be to wait in her own. Her phone buzzed again, and she jumped for it, eager for the distraction.

 

Just arrived, beautiful, it read, complete with a kissy-face emoji. She could have barfed. She should have swooned. It buzzed again. There is a strange quadling girl outside your door. Should I shoot her or invite her in?

 

For just a split second, she wanted to tell him to shoot the girl, but got her baser urges under control and quickly replied, Don't shoot! She comes in peace. Elphaba's new girl.

 

Right on. Diversity, he texted. She rolled her eyes, walking to the main room to grab her roommate.

 

"Elphie, time to go," she called, awkwardness from earlier almost forgotten. Almost. Elphaba came to the front door, looking like a green bean dressed in a knitted sweater, one made by a novice who hadn't quite figured out yarn. She sighed, deciding not to say anything. Not that Elphaba would care. She did what she wanted. It was one of the things Galinda usually like about her. She put on a silver jacket, silver shoes, and grabbed her silver purse, mostly ignoring Elphie. When she was ready, she grabbed a green limb and hauled her out the door after her. Ara and Avaric sat awkwardly on the porch, waiting for them. Avaric's face clouded over with relief as they opened the door, but Ara didn't seem to care too much. She gave Elphaba a small smile, looking up at her from chocolate brown eyes. 

 

"Avaric, I see you've met Ara," Galinda said. "Ara, this is my... friend Avaric. Shall we go?"

 

"Yeah," Avaric said. He didn't look at Ara. "My car's just on the street." He took her arm, guiding her down the steps. She tried, for a few moments at least, to listen to the drabble coming out of his mouth, but she gave up after a minute or so. She devoted her attentions to making sure Elphaba was still following them, that she hadn't run off with her newest toy. She took a deep breath, and let it out again, letting Avaric help her into the front seat of his car, an old-looking fashionable thing that he was far too proud of.

 

"Thank you," she said. In the rear view mirror, a flash of green appeared, then Elphaba was in the back seat, behind the driver's chair. Pink must be behind her, then. She looked back, plastering a smile onto her face. "Well, this shall be fun. I hear the White Swan is to die for."

 

"I've been before," Elphaba said. "It's fine. Nothing too special."

 

"Elphie, you wicked liar," Avaric said, sliding behind the wheel. "It's always sold out for months. The only reason we got in at all is by name-dropping my father."

 

"I dated an actress for a while," she said with a shrug. "She got us into lots of places like that. I started hating them after a while. There were too many looks. And not the good kind."

 

"An actress," he scoffed. "I dated an actress once too, she nearly broke my dick off she rode so hard."

 

"Charming, Avaric," Galinda said, giving the quadling girl an apologetic look in the rear view mirror, but she only let out a giggle, surprisingly high pitched.

 

"Oh Oz, tell me about it. She was exhausting. I mean my sex drive is high, but she wanted it constantly. I struggled to even come close to what she needed."

 

"I understand you perfectly. Fucking actors." Galinda stared between them, amazed. Why now, now when she wanted nothing to do with Avaric, was Elphaba finding something she had in common with Avaric? It was infuriating. She would truly have to give Avaric a chance now. 

 

"So. When did you come to the city, Ara?" she asked, to change the subject. 

 

Ara spoke slowly and carefully, pronouncing every word dramatically. "I was twelve. My parents take me, to study."

 

"That's nice," she said. "And how do you like it? Compared to quadling country?" Elphaba's eyes flashed at the question, but Ara didn't seem offended.

 

"Quadling country- is home. But I liked Shiz."

 

"I liked it too. What did you study?"

 

"Magic."

 

"Me as well! Did you have Ms. Greyling? She was just darling." Ara gave her a smile and a shake of her head, before speaking, in her slow careful way.

 

"She was not. When I was there."

 

"Oh, well you missed out. You'll have to show me what you can do. I want to learn. I want to learn faster than I'm learning."

 

"Alphie, I hear you're coming back to school," Avaric said, cutting Galinda off. She gave him a glare. 

 

"I am," she said. 

 

"You didn't tell me that," Galinda said in surprise.

 

"Oh, it just happened today. And there's not much to tell. It isn't like it's official. I'm only coming in a few days a week towork with Dr. Dillamond. He won't pay me much, so I'll keep the other job for the time being."

 

"But you hate school."

 

"I did," she agreed. "But I didn't hate the Doctor, I loved him. And his lab. I was good at that. I want to go back to something I was really good at, you know?"

 

"Well," Galinda said with a sniff. "I suppose it will be nice to see you on campus. If you'll even speak to me then."

 

"Don't be self pitying. You know I didn't have a chance to tell you."

 

"I know," she muttered. "Avaric, do you have plans for the break?"

 

"I'm going home. My parents pretend to miss me to keep up appearances. What are you two doing?"

 

"Staying here," Elphaba said.

 

"I'm not sure what I'll do yet," Galinda admitted. "I may volunteer in Munchkinland. Apparently there's a drought."

 

"That sounds horrible. You've got to come home with me instead. You can meet my mother." She choked on a breath of air, coughing, trying to get herself under control as she realized what Avaric had said. Meet his mother? That sounded serious. It sounded like everything she'd ever wanted. She nodded, still struggling for breath. Elphaba leaned forward and hit her hard between her shoulder blades.

 

"Ow," she managed to get out, swatting Elphaba's hand away. "Elphie, that wasn't necessary."

 

Elphaba shrugged. They lapsed into an awkward silence, and Galinda stared out the window, thinking way too much about what Avaric had said. She truly had to give him a chance. She could deal with him. If it meant getting what she wanted since she'd been a child. They arrived at the restaurant, after what felt like hours. Avaric opened her door and helped her out while Elphaba and Ara scuttled out of the back. The restaurant was huge, white and domed, and Galinda tried not to stare too much, but found that she couldn't help it. They walked in, to find tables made of dark wood, the whole place a mix of black and white, aside from the colorfully dressed waiters and waitresses, dancing around with trays above their heads, weaving through the tables and handing out food laid out in elaborate designs. Her nose was overwhelmed with the mix of smells, and she suddenly realized she was starving.

 

"Welcome," a woman with a high bun and a black dress said as she walked over to them. She had a tight smile on her face, as though wondering why four students were walking into such a nice place of business. "Do you have a reservation?"

 

"Yes," Avaric said, puffing out his chest. "Avaric Tenmeadows for four." Her expression changed instantly, and she looked afraid now.

 

"Of course, sir. Right away. Let me just see where we have you." She bustled away, staring straight ahead. Avaric smirked at her. 

 

"Having a famous family has its advantages. Sometimes."

 

She gave him a simper, hoping it was convincing. "Thank you for getting us in here. I'm so excited." They were seated at a table near the middle of the restaurant, and instantly, a waitress ran over to them with a tray of four plates.

 

"Tuna Tartar, compliments of the chef. The chef wanted to send these out for you, as an apology for the confusion about the table." Galinda wondered what confusion about the table there had been. It seemed that the hostess had taken care of things as soon as she could have. Avaric gave the girl a nod, as though all was forgiven. She walked off with the tray, and Galinda scrutinized the food in front of them. She had never had tuna before, and the vinegar, fishy smell rising from the plate did nothing to assuage her suspicions. She moved it around with a fork, surveying the best angle to sample from. She took a bite, and made a face. The fish tasted exactly as it had smelled, sour and fishy, and she hated it. She passed the plate to Ara, who had already devoured her portion.

 

"Do not like fish?" she asked, concerned.

 

"Not that fish," she said. The others each ate the tuna like it was the best food they'd had in years. Galinda watched them, feeling out of place.

 

"Where I grow up- most meat fish," she said. Avaric gave her an uncomfortable look.

 

"That's awful."

 

"No," she said, raising her hands in front of her chest. "No, is very good fish."

 

"Even so." Galinda looked at the menu. There were no prices listed. This restaurant was far above her station, she knew. She was lucky to have Avaric beside her, in case she needed any guidance. There were only three main course options, and one of them was fish, so she instantly ruled it out. She settled on a lamb dish.

 

"What is this?" Ara asked Elphaba, pointing to the menu.

 

Elphaba thought for a moment then answered, "Garta. Goat in gilliken. Garta wa Qua 'ati."

 

"Elphie, do you speak quadling?"

 

"The language is called Qua'ati. But I can get by. I lived in quadling country for a lot of my childhood. My father was a missionary there, and dragged the rest of us poor sods along with him."

 

"I didn't know that," she said. She hadn't realized how much she didn't know about her best friend. Elphaba didn't talk about herself, at least not often. But still, she felt like she ought to have known that Elphaba grew up in quadling country.

 

"Where?" Ara asked her, and Elphaba said something that Galinda didn't understand. The two girls fell into what looked like a riveting conversation, finding yet another thing they had in common. Galinda pouted, turning to Avaric. There wasn't much she had in common with him, and again she was jealous of Ara. Nevertheless, she had promised herself that she'd try, so try she would.

 

"So. Avaric," she said, clasping her hands together to buy time to think of something to say. "Where did you grow up? Did you ever leave Gilliken?"

 

He shrugged. "Not really. We traveled occasionally, but went nowhere memorable. I'm not one for traveling, myself."

 

"Me either," she said. At least they were both boring. "I don't know any languages. I'm practically uncultured swine."

 

"If there's any real culture outside of Gilliken, I've yet to see evidence of it. We're by far the most developed country."

 

Elphaba looked up sharply. "That's a fairly narrow-minded view for someone who never left his home town before college."

 

He shrugged. "If you're born in the best of all worlds, why leave?"

 

"Well, those who aren't bigoted assholes do tend to leave. At least temporarily." Avaric opened his mouth, but Ara cut him off, evidently trying to avoid a fight.

 

"Is goat good?" she asked. It may have been a little unimaginative, but it did the job. Avaric turned back to her.

 

"If it's cooked right, it's good. It'll be cooked right here. You've never had it?"

 

She shook her head. "Where I am from, goat eat trash."

 

"They do that here too," Elphaba said with a pointed glare at Avaric. "We just eat them anyways because we're uncultured swine." Their waiter appeared at exactly the right moment to head off the argument. He took their orders, seemingly unaware of the tension that hung over the table, and wandered off again a few moments later. Galinda watched him go, wondering why she had agreed to this dinner.

 

"Well," she said, making an effort to keep her tone light. "I, for one, am famished. I hope this doesn't take too long."

 

"If you want, I can have them bring something else," Avaric offered. "An appetizer or something? They have quite a selection if you want to look." Galinda did want to look, if only so she didn't have to look at any of her three companions, but she also, despite herself, wanted to impress Avaric, and her waist was already expanding past the range she liked to keep it in. 

 

She shook her head, and gave him a smile. "You're too kind. I don't want to ruin my appetite. I can wait."

 

"Suit yourself," he said. The table fell into deep silence, and all four of them looked in different directions. Galinda wished that she hadn't invited Elphaba. There was no possible way dinner alone with Avaric would have been as awkward as this. Ara was the only one who didn't seem bothered. She traced a pattern onto the white table cloth with her finger, running it over the same places over and over. Galinda watched for a while, but she couldn't figure out what the pattern was. 

 

"So Elphie," Avaric said. "I heard you nearly got Fiyero to cheat on his wife."

 

She scowled. "He didn't do it, then? She isn't really his wife. They were both children when they were married. It isn't like they know each other or anything."

 

"No judgements here," Avaric said, holding his hands in the air as a sign of good will. "There's a guy who needs to get laid, if I've ever seen one."

 

Galinda wondered how Elphaba could possibly justify cheating in a relationship, after she'd broken up with a girl who had cheated on a test, but with the two of them talking, she was happier. She didn't want the blanket of silence to return. She pretended, instead, to listen to their scheming about getting poor Fiyero laid. He deserved better than any girl Elphaba or Avaric knew. The food arrived quickly, which she supposed was one of the perks of a fancy restaurant, but the portion sizes were disappointingly small. Her lamb dish contained a smattering of mashed potatoes, garnished with a sweet red sauce, and only three pieces of meat. She frowned, and tried to eat as slowly as she could, to trick her stomach into thinking it was full.

 

Ara appeared to like the goat; she tore into it viciously with her fork, seeming to forget about the knife that lay next to the plate. Avaric's lip curled in disgust, but Galinda didn't care. She was just happy that the food gave them all an excuse not to try to speak to one another. Elphaba picked at her food, hardly eating anything. When Galinda had eaten enough to feel less crazy, she turned to her roommate with a frown.

 

"Do you not like the food?"

 

"It's fine," Elphaba said. "I'm just not hungry. I ate when I was hungry earlier." Galinda rolled her eyes. She managed to survive the dinner. All of them had, somehow. Avaric drove them home in a very awkward silence. Galinda got out of the car, giving him a gracious wave goodbye, but not so much as a kiss. Ara and Elphaba followed her in.

 

"Well," she said. "That was a complete disaster."

 

"Not a complete one," Elphaba said, brandishing her large paper sack of leftovers. "The food was good."

 

"Thanks for that," Galinda said, grabbing the backs of her heels and pulling them off her aching feet. 

 

"Sorry Avaric and I don't get along." Galinda sighed.

 

"It's fine. I'm sorry for trying to make you get along. That was stupid. Let's just keep our romantic lives and our friendships separate."

 

"Fine with me," Elphaba said. "Have a good night." 

 

She swept Ara up and disappeared into her room, closing the door behind her. Galinda stared after them, disheartened and alone.


End file.
